The Launch Pad Blog

Big Data is all the rage right now. In fact, being a data scientist was recently named one of the sexist jobs of the 21st century by the Harvard Business Review. I’d say a good chunk of the angel investment community here in Miami has invested in a Big Data startup at some point in their investment careers. You can …

LinkedIn is my preferred tool as an entrepreneur. It surprises me that individuals in my age group (early-to-mid 20s) rarely rely on LinkedIn. It is my go-to site where I can learn about the experiences and qualifications of those in my industry, seek out those who I would like to connect-to in the near future, and finally connect further with …

I get crazy looks when people find out that I’m both a law student and an entrepreneur. It’s perhaps the most stressful thing I’ve done to date. Balancing the demands of my J.D. curriculum with the demands of starting a business is quite the challenge. You wonder sometimes why someone would put themselves through such madness. However, being a student …

Outsourcing your development team abroad can provide many benefits to an early stage startup. Co-founders can develop a product, test the market, and place it in the hands of users before investing in significant amount of funds in domestic development. Several of the investors and consultants I’ve spoken to find that it’s totally normal and common for a startup to …

The number one question we hear at The Launch Pad has to be “Is my idea worth pursuing?”. This question, in one way or another, is a thought that every founder has had for their business. It makes sense that an aspiring entrepreneur would want to hear a yes or no answer from someone experienced in their field, but no one …

It’s crucial that startup founders become knowledgeable of the industry and market they aim to succeed in. Demonstrating that you are well-versed and well-read in such topics proves your credibility to lead your company. Plus, answering any questions after a pitch or demo will be a breeze if you have done the necessary homework. With that being said, I have …

We’ve all heard it before… “The world is filled with two types of people.” Dog people or cat people, vanilla people or chocolate people, Apple® people or Android® people (let’s just admit that Blackberry® people are too small to measure). As it turns out, entrepreneurs can also be classified as two types of people: replicative entrepreneurs, and innovative entrepreneurs. The …

It’s possible to double book your calendar every night of the week with events in Miami. The city is building a reputation as a tech and entrepreneurial hub. Community members are working a great deal to make that happen through the hosting of events and gatherings at some of city’s finest venues. If I hadn’t stepped out of my comfort …

The Larry Hoffman|Greenberg Traurig* Startup Practicum Do you have a business idea? Do you need legal advice? Have no money to hire a lawyer? The UM startup clinic can help! Law students in the practicum are eager to help clients with organizing, financing, talent, intellectual property, risk, regulation, and other legal issues that arise for entrepreneurs as they launch their …

One of the founding tenets of The Launch Pad in 2008 was for it to be a sort of “career center of the future” that could provide a place for those students and alumni that wanted to pursue their own ideas as opposed to trying to work for someone else. Over the years we’ve provided free consulting for those people. …